1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latches and more particularly pertains to an emergency trunk interior release latch for releasably securing the trunk lid of a vehicle which may be actuated by a person inside the trunk in emergency situations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of latches is known in the prior art. More specifically, latches heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of securing vehicle components are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a device for locking a trunk lid of a motor vehicle is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,885 which utilizes a base plate secured to a trunk structure, a latch member rotatably supported on the base plate for holding a striker secured to the trunk lid and a detent lever being engagable with the latch member to hold the latch member in a locking position. The device operates such that when the trunk lid is closed the lock lever rotates the latch member to move the striker into a locking position and when the trunk lid is opened, the lock lever rotates the detent lever to release the detent lever from the latch member. The device effectively reduces the force required to secure the trunk lid of the motor vehicle.
A vehicular trunk lid latch assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,504 which includes a housing, a pair of latching members, a cam member, a spring loaded lever rotatively mounted intermediate to cam member and one of the latching members and a shaft extending into the housing from a lock cylinder assembly. In the event of removal of the shaft, the spring-loaded lever will snap away from the cam member into an inoperable position, thereby preventing any unlatching operation thereafter by the insertion of a probe or screw driver to rotate the cam member.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,384 which describes a trunk lid lock with remote release which employs a solenoid operated rotatable armature that acts directly on a leg of a rotatable latch plate which engages a lock bar. Upon energization of the solenoid, the armature is attracted to the solenoid, thereby causing it to disengage the latch plate so that the deck lid may be opened. The lid lock further includes a rotatable key cam which acts on the armature to enable a release of the deck lid through conventional external key actuation.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a latch for releasably securing the trunk lid of a vehicle which may be actuated by a person inside the trunk compartment in emergency situations which includes a latch assembly operable by both a conventional exterior lock assembly and a release assembly positioned within the trunk compartment. Furthermore, none of the known prior art latches teach or suggest a trunk interior release latch provided with a luminescent interior release assembly.
In these respects, the emergency trunk interior release latch according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of releasably securing the trunk lid of a vehicle while providing for the release of such trunk lid by a person contained within the trunk compartment.